In the past, various types of gaming machines have been developed with different features to captivate and maintain player interest. In general, a gaming machine allows a player to play a game in exchange for a wager. Depending on the outcome of the game, the player may be entitled to an award which is paid to the player by the gaming machine, normally in the form of currency or game credits. Gaming machines may include flashing displays, lighted displays, or sound effects to capture a player's interest in a gaming device. There is also the desire to incorporate mobile devices for game play, however, there are numerous obstacles to the use of mobile devices for game play, including the lack of ticket printers and bill acceptors.
Historically, there has been “Ticket-in-Ticket-Out” functionality in gaming machines. Briefly explained, when using “Ticket-in-Ticket-Out” functionality a player inserts cash into a gaming machine, but does not receive cash when pressing “cash out.” Instead, he or she receives a paper ticket that may be further inserted into the present or any other gaming machine, or redeemed for cash by inserting into a kiosk.
While there is a desire to use mobile devices such as smart phones as gaming devices, there remains the problem that these mobile devices do not have access to traditional gaming peripherals such as ticket printers or bill acceptors. It would be desirable to allow mobile devices to participate in playing games with real money in a casino environment, leveraging existing infrastructure in a way that makes sense to a player. There is a continuing need in the art to address these and other issues.